The Hero and The Reporter
by individuall88
Summary: Warning contains spoilers for the next episode. This is sort of a companion piece for 'Two Heros and a Phone Booth' same episode. Rating for language.


**A/N:** I guess you could say this is a 'companion piece 'to 'Two Hero's and a Phone booth" Oh, and just know I don't expect anything like this to happen in the actual episode. At all. But this just popped into my head and wouldn't let me sleep till I wrote it. So…I have a slight case of insomnia…Ugh.

**Spoilers:** Stiletto

**Rating:** T for Lois's mouth.

**The Hero and the Reporter**

Lois was walking fast down the alley silently cursing the person who had invented stilettos. It had to have been a man. Only a man would think up something as torturous as having a woman learn to walk on miniature stilts! She was pretty sure she lost her pursuers a couple of turns ago. But she wasn't one hundred percent sure, so she took a short cut through what looked like a deserted alley. She hoped Clark and Jimmy were OK.

"Are you Stiletto?" A deep voice called from behind her. Lois stopped in her tracks. It was _him_. A tingling sensation spread across her skin. Her heart was pumping fast and hard in her chest. It was_ him_. She was sure of it! It had to be! No criminal would have bothered with questions. And the thugs, who were chasing her, definitely didn't want to chitchat. No. This was it. This was what she had been waiting for. She was finally going to get her exclusive. She was finally going to make her mark on the world.

Lois Lane Pulitzer prizewinning journalist-

Lois Lane the first reporter to get the exclusive with the mysterious Red Blue Blur.

Lois Lane the uncover-er of truth! The name synonymous with the Daily Planet!

She could see it now: Lois Lane ace reporter.

Unable to keep the mega watt smile off of her face, the faux pas super hero slowly turned to face her companion.

The Red Blu- Clark?

Her face immediately fell. Her smile was replaced with a bemused frown.

What the Hell was he doing here? Hadn't she just rescued him and Jimmy from a couple of thugs? They should be trying to find the police or something, not chasing after her. Dammit!

Maybe she'd taught Clark a little too well.

Clark took a step forward and for some reason Lois felt a bit uneasy. He couldn't get too close he might-

"Lois? Is that you?"

Shit!

Lois didn't know how to respond. Should she confess or try to play it off?

"You look-"

Lois rolled her eyes. She knew how she looked. Utterly and completely ridiculous! She was wearing a cape for crying out loud!

"Different," He finally settled.

The jig was up. She sighed. It was only Clark. She might as well come clean.

"Look Smallville would you try to keep it down? I don't want everyone to know I'm-"

"Running around in a dominatrix costume?" He supplied.

"Exactly." She said.

"So, there is no Stiletto?"

"Yes. There is. I'm Stiletto." Lois affirmed.

Clark had that look in his eyes. A knot in Lois's stomach tightened. He looked at her almost as if he were-disappointed?

"Lois you can't print something that's not true! It's unethical! You're better than that." He lectured.

The knot in Lois's gut loosened and melted into a boiling liquid. She balled her fists by her side, trying to stay somewhat calm, but her hands were itching to slap that 'fatherly I-know-best look' off his face.

He had some kind of nerve!

"Tell me Clark? Is it lonely up there on your pedestal?" She marched over to stand in front of him, arms crossed. In her heels she was almost at his eye level.

"I didn't print anything that wasn't true." Lois stated angrily. "Everything in that article was fact! I just replaced the name 'Lois Lane' with 'Stiletto' and since they are one in the same. No harm, no foul!"

"Lois what you're doing is dangerous you could-"

"Look, Smallville I wasn't planning on actually saving anyone. I mean not really. I just happened to be at the right place at the right time for you and Jimmy. And it was a damn good thing I was!"

"Yeah. Thanks, by the way."

Some of her anger faded.

"It's not like I don't owe you for the countless times you've saved my sorry butt!" She winked.

"You do have a point." He replied smugly.

"So, you dressed up and played super hero to get the attention of the Red Blue Blur?" Clark asked for clarification.

"Yep." Lois replied smoothly. "I figured if he saw another hero giving quotes and interviews it might lure him out of hiding-"

"And if 'Stiletto' talks to you, you figured so would he." Clark finished.

"That was the plan." Lois nodded.

"Dangerous. Reckless. Sounds like you." He smiled affectionately. "I guess my question would be, why?"

"What do you mean, why? I told I was going to be the first person to get the exclusive months ago." She answered firmly.

"Yeah. But this," he gestured to her costume, "is a little extreme, don't you think?"

Lois chewed on her bottom lip.

"OK. So my motives aren't completely noble." She admitted, almost sheepishly.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean if I get this exclusive- I'll finally be somebody." She said earnestly.

"Lois you _are_ somebody." Clark answered sincerely.

"I know. I have a lot of contacts. And I write pretty decent stories. And people at the Daily Planet know who I am, but-"

"But?"

"Almost two years after I got my job at the Daily Planet I'm still stuck in the basement! I want more. And I know that's completely selfish. But I want to be the best, Clark. I want to prove myself. I need to. And trust me I know this feeling of inadequacy stems from my 'daddy issues,' but I can't help it. It's a part of who I am."

Clark listened to her rant thoughtfully. "OK." He said finally.

"OK?"

"You're right. It is selfish, but who doesn't want to make their mark on the world? Who doesn't want to be the best at what they do?"

Lois beamed at him.

"Most people just do it without the leather." He added smirking. "And really that is the poorest excuse for a mask I have ever seen! You're not going to fool anybody!" He chuckled.

"Hey!" But Lois smiled back. "I cut this out myself!" She childishly stuck her tongue out at him.

"Why don't you hang up the cape for tonight, huh? You can write the story on how 'Stiletto' saved me and Jimmy."

"Really?" She didn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth or anything, but her curiosity got the better or her. "Don't you want to write it?"

"Me?" Clark said feigning shock shaking his. "Stiletto only talks to you.

She could have kissed him right then and there! But she didn't, of course.

"And I'm sorry about what I said before. I should have given you a little more credit."

"Thanks, Smallville. That means a lot." And it did. He stood there staring at her for a long moment.

"What?" She finally asked. Did she have something on her face?

"Nothing. I was just waiting for you to disappear into the shadows." He replied suppressing a laugh.

"You're not going to ever let me forget this are you?"

"Not likely."

**A/N:** So what did you think? Did it live up to the-er hype? Reviews=Love!


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